ELECTRONICS NEWS HIGHLIGHTS W19.2023

1. SIA: GLOBAL SEMICONDUCTOR SALES FELL 8.7% IN THE FIRST QUARTER

According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), global semiconductor sales totaled $119.5 billion in the first quarter of 2023, down 8.7% from the fourth quarter of 2022.

“Semiconductor sales continued to slip during the first quarter of 2023 due to market cyclicality and macroeconomic headwinds, but month-to-month sales were up in March for the first time in nearly a year, providing optimism for a rebound in the months ahead,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO.

Details: Q1 semi sales down 8.7% q-o-q

2. CHINA, CHIPS AND SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION

As the U.S. and China battle for supremacy in semiconductor manufacturing, the supply chain continues to struggle to meet global demand for chips. In the context of US sanctions preventing foreign investment in China, China had to develop and invest in domestic companies to meet the needs of the market, especially the domestic market, manufactures electric vehicles and memory.

The US also restricts the export of microchips by domestic Chinese companies. Now that China is one of the world’s largest markets and factories for electronic components, the imposition of sanctions on this nation is causing disruptions to the global supply chain.

Details: China, CHIPS and Supply Chain Disruption

3. SEMI: WORLDWIDE SILICON WAFER SHIPMENTS DECLINE IN FIRST QUARTER 2023

According to SEMI’s latest report, global silicon wafer shipments in the first quarter of 2023 fell 9.0% quarter-on-quarter.

“The decline in silicon wafer shipments reflects softening semiconductor demand since early this year,” said Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Chief Commercial Officer at Okmetic. “Memory and consumer electronics have seen the largest drops in demand while the market for automotive and industrial applications remains more stable.”